


Playing Pretend

by hchollym



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Jealousy, Pre-Canon, Sibling Incest, slight angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-29
Updated: 2014-07-29
Packaged: 2018-02-10 23:59:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,662
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2045154
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hchollym/pseuds/hchollym
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Robb never wanted to play Knights and Maidens with Sansa anymore - until Sansa asked Jon to be her knight instead.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Playing Pretend

**Author's Note:**

> I literally just discovered GOT a couple weeks ago, but I've already watched every episode. It's awesome! I adore this couple (as odd as it may seem), so I couldn't resist writing something for them.
> 
> Takes place before the series starts.
> 
> Cross-posted on the ASOIAF kink meme for a prompt on there.
> 
> Comments are always lovely <3

Robb used to love playing knights and maidens with Sansa. He used his wooden sword to fight and vanquish the evil dragon (who was usually played by Theon, much to the other boy’s annoyance), and he was hailed as the hero when he saved the fair maiden from her tower. It was a nice feeling, and he imagined doing it for real one day – minus the dragon. 

His favorite part of the game wasn’t the battle or being a hero though. It was the soft kiss that Sansa would press to his cheek at the end; it left his skin tingling and caused a warm, fluttery feeling in his chest that he didn’t quite understand, but enjoyed nonetheless. 

Yet the older he got, the more he realized that those games were for children. He was becoming a man, and he needed to train to be a real hero instead of pretending to be one in a silly game. He focused on swordplay and archery, spending more and more time with Jon and Theon, and less time with his little sister. 

He tried to ignore the twinge in his chest whenever Sansa looked crestfallen because he told her that he wasn’t going to play, trying to convince himself that she needed to grow up too. She needed to focus on becoming a proper lady so that she could be a proper wife when she wed one day. The thought left him feeling hollow, but he pushed it aside to focus on other things. 

So when she approached their trio with a hopeful look in her eyes, he prepared himself to disappoint her again. As he opened his mouth to tell her that he was busy, Sansa walked past him without sparing him a second glance and stopped in front of Jon.

“Arya and I are playing knights and maidens. She’s going to be the dragon, so will you be my knight?” She was looking up at their bastard brother with wide, shining eyes and Rob felt his stomach clench. Jon looked surprised, but he smiled kindly. 

“I would be honored, my lady,” he said, getting into character immediately as he bowed slightly and held out his hand to her. Sansa giggled lightly and took it, and Robb tried to ignore how perfectly her small hand fit in Jon’s larger one, and how much that bothered him. They walked away, and Robb watched them go with an odd ache in his chest. When he looked over at Theon, the other boy was smirking at him.

“Looks like you’ve been replaced,” he teased, a dark amusement in his eyes, and Robb swallowed hard, forcing himself not to hit his father’s ward. He turned away from Sansa and Jon and busied himself with cleaning his sword instead, wiping down the blade carefully with the rag in his right hand. He didn’t even realize it when he stopped his ministrations to watch the game.

Jon was pretending to fight with Arya, who let out a loud yell and fell to the ground dramatically. Robb’s eyes narrowed when Jon lifted Sansa from her place on the window’s ledge, and she wrapped her arms around his neck as he carried her.

“My brave knight,” she exclaimed dreamily, and Robb felt the anger and jealousy burn in his stomach. He wanted to punch Jon in the face. When Sansa kissed his cheek, blushing when he smiled at her, Robb saw red. He clenched his teeth so hard that he started to get light-headed, and there was a roaring in his ears. Her kisses and adoration weren’t meant for Jon; they were only meant for him. Suddenly, he wished he was still playing the game with her, no matter how juvenile it was. 

He was brought back to his senses by Theon’s startled cry. He turned to him, blinking as he tried to comprehend why the other looked so worried. Theon grabbed his hands, and it was only then that Robb realized he was bleeding. He had been clenching his sword so tightly that the blade had cut into his palm and fingers.

The world started to come back into focus, and he suddenly felt the sting of the wound. He dropped the blade and hissed in pain while Theon ripped off a piece of cloth from his own shirt. By that time, the rest of the yard had noticed the commotion, and all eyes were on them. Sansa rushed towards him with a worried expression.

She took his hand gently in hers, and Robb noticed that his skin tingled from the touch, despite the pain. Theon handed her the piece of cloth, and she wrapped in around his hand tenderly to slow the bleeding. She was looking up at him with puzzled and concerned eyes, and he could only stare back blankly. He felt as confused as she looked. 

The rest of the day passed by in a blur. He received a tongue lashing from his mother and father about being more careful and was banned from using a sword until his hand healed, but he could barely bring himself to care. His hand was throbbing, but his thoughts were consumed by images of Sansa and Jon playing the game.

He always complained about playing such a childish game, and he made excuses to avoid playing as often as he could, so why did it bother him so much that she asked Jon instead? Watching them together felt wrong, somehow. Jon wasn’t supposed to be her hero; Robb was. 

He was so lost in thought that he didn’t realize that she had entered his chambers until she sat down beside him. He turned to look at her, trying to ignore the warmth that was radiating off her body and seemed to set fire to his very soul. She kept her gaze fixed on the wall across from them, pointedly not looking at him, and Robb could tell that she was upset.

“You should be more careful-“ she began to say, but he cut her off. 

“Why did you ask Jon to be your knight?” He asked forcefully. He needed to know, even if he couldn’t explain why it mattered so much. She finally turned to look at him, blinking in confusion, and her mouth snapped shut and fell into a small frown. Her eyebrows furrowed lightly, and Robb couldn’t help but notice how adorable she looked with that expression.

“Because you never want to be my knight anymore,” she finally answered, as if the answer was obvious. Robb exhaled the breath he hadn’t even realized he was holding, and he felt an inexplicable rush of relief flood through him. 

“That’s not true; I always want to be your knight,” he finally said, so quietly that Sansa almost missed it. She smiled happily at him, and it made something in his stomach squirm. 

“You always will be,” she said earnestly, and he felt his heart flutter as warmth filled his chest. Her skin was glowing in the candlelight, and her hair seemed to be shining like the dancing flames of a fire. She was beautiful. 

The realization took his breath away, and before he knew what he was doing, he pressed his lips to hers in a soft, quick kiss. Her eyes widened in surprise when he pulled back, and he licked his lips to taste her. She tasted like lemon cakes, and he realized distractedly that she must have snuck some from the kitchen after dinner. The thought made him smile. 

“I don’t like Jon being your knight – or anyone else,” he told her, suddenly serious again, and she looked at him with amusement. 

“Are you jealous?” She asked. Her voice was playful, but he could hear a little bit of awe mixed in as well, and it made him unreasonably happy. He swallowed, but didn’t reply. He wasn’t ready to say it out loud, so he kissed her again instead of answering. 

She responded this time, her lips parting slightly. Her kiss was timid and sweet, and her lips were softer than rose petals. It made his head feel fuzzy as the warmth in his chest spread throughout the rest of his body, down to even his fingertips. 

It felt right; like the whole world suddenly fell into place and made sense. It felt like he finally found his other half, only to realize that it had been right in front of him the whole time. It felt like coming home, even though he was already in his own chambers. 

It wasn’t the best kiss in the world, slightly awkward and clumsy, but it felt perfect to him, and he never wanted it to end. When they finally pulled apart, he rested his forehead on hers, their breath mingling together as they looked into each other’s eyes. 

“From now on, whenever you want to play knights and maidens, I will always be your knight,” he whispered against her cheek. Sansa smiled sweetly at him, her eyes shining with love. 

“Thank you,” she breathed out, as if he had just given her the best gift in the world. He kissed her lips again softly before pulling back and gathering her in his arms. She laid her head on his chest, and his arm wrapped around her back as he caressed her hair gently.

“We will play the game for now, but one day, I will be the hero that saves you for real,” he told her, and he could feel her smile against his chest. 

“I know you will,” she said quietly, her faith in him unwavering. He kissed the top of her head, and she closed her eyes in content. 

She truly believed in her heart that it would happen; one day, he would be her knight for real and save her from the bad guys. But for now, they would play pretend. They didn’t realize that it was better that way. Children’s games always had a happy ending.


End file.
